Collapsible container



3 Sheets-Sheet l ATTOQJVEYS Filed Jan. 3, 1966 July l1, 1967 R. A. BELLAMY COLLAPSIBLE CONTAINER 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 5, 1966 m m m REGlNALD A. BELLAMY @Mmmfdm ATTORNEYS July 11, 1967 R. A. BELLAMY 3,330,437

coLLAPsIBLE CONTAINER Filed Jan. 5, 1966 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 26 .Il/4116 Fil-983s? Flg'zoa 36 4e |08 48 W// 28/ 3o 92 22 INVENTOR.

REGiNALD A. BELLAMY United States Patent O 3,330,437 COLLAPSIBLE CONTAINER Reginald A. Bellamy, Tonawanda, N.Y., assignor to Buffalo Molded Plastics, Inc., Bulfalo, N.Y. Filed Jan. 3, 1966, Ser. No. 518,260 6 Claims. (Cl. 220-62) This invention -relates to containers and pertains, more particularly, to a container constructed of molded material which is characterized by residing normally in hat -condition but which may ybe readily and easily folded and secured to form a carton or container mechanism.

Of primary concern in connection with this invention is the provision of a container or carton assembly which is formed of molded material in which the molding process results in la blank having all the requisite attachment `and securement means necessary for holding the container in erected condition so as to receive and hold such contents as are desired to be placed in the container. In this fashion, the container, when in use, effects the necessary and desired purposes whereas, at the s-ame time, the container when not in use may be knocked down to a at condition so that it may be easily stored and/ or transported for subsequent reuse.

More particularly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved form of carton or container constructed of molded synthetic resinous material wherein a molded blank is provided with a plurality of upstanding Iabutment surfaces and locking devices whereby the normally ilat blank may Ibe erected or vfolded to form a selfsustaining and rigid carton or container assembly.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the specification hereinafter and the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view shown a `container container constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a blank constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the blank of FIGURE 2 with the side Walls thereof folded in upstanding relation;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 3 but showing the back wall folded up and secured in place relative to the side walls;

FIG. 5 is a view `similiar to FIGURES 3 and 4 but showing the box or container in completely erected form but with the cover hinged to open position;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the plane of section -line 6-6 in FIGURE 1 illustrating 4one of the locking t-abs;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the plane of section line 7-7 in FIGURE 1 showing another of the locking tabs;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged lsectional view taken substantially along the plane of section line 8 8 in FIGURE 1 and illustrating one ofthe locating channel and tongue devices;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged sectional View taken substantially along the plane of section line 9-9 in FIGURE 1 illustrating an edge receiving channel;

FIG. 10 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the plane 'of section line 10-10 in FIGURE 2 showing one of the fold lines; and

FIG. 1l is a view Isimilar to FIGURE 7 .but showing a modified form of construction.

With reference now more Iparticularly to FIGURES 1 and 2, the reference numeral 10 indicates in general Ia blank according to the present invention which is a molded, onepiece construction made from synthetic resinous material. The cruciforrn blank is provided with fold lines, more particularly described hereinafter, which, in

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FIGURE 2, are identified lby the reference characters 12, 14, 16, 18 and 20. These fold lines divide the blank 10 into la bottom wall 22, a pair of opposite side Walls 24 and 26, a front wall 28, a rear Wall 30 and a lid 32, all of which normally reside in ilat condition as shown but which are capable of being folded to erect form in the manner illustrated in FIGURE 1.

The subject matter of the present invention concerns the manner in which the various wall panels are interconnected and formed so that, when erected as Vshown in FIG- lURE 1, the resultant container will be both self-supporting and capable of containing material disposed therewithin without collapsing. In FIGURE 2, each side wall panel 24 and 26 is provided wit-h a pair of upstanding ribs 34 and 36 along its opposite side edges 38 and 40, each of which ribs is provided with a channel or groove 42, aS can be `seen best in FIGURE 8, which lies generally parallel to the respective panels 24 and 26, substantially as is shown. The front and rear wall panels 28 and 30 are provided, in close adjacency to but spaced inwardly from their opposite side edges 44 and 46 with upstanding tongues 48 and 50 which, as can be seen in FIGURES 6 and 8, are adapted to be received within the channels in the ribs 34 and 36.

The cover panel 32 is provided with a -pair of upstanding flanges 52 and 54 along its opposite side edges 56 and 58, in which the ilange 52 is iiush with its respective edge 56 or 58 and the cooperating iiange 54 is spaced inwardly therefrom so as to form a channel or groove 60 therebetween. The channels 60 receive the respective upper edges 62 land 64 of the slide wall panels 24 and 26 in the manner shown most clearly in FIGURE 9.

In the specic embodiment shown, the free edge of the cover panel 32 is provided with a plurality of ta'b extensions 72 each of which is apertured as shown to receive a corresponding outstanding stud 76 formed on the outer face of the -front Wall panel 28 and which will be seen to include a stem portion 78 and a headed portion 30, the latter of which is somewhat .greater diameter than the openings 82 in the tabs 72 so as to provide a snap-lit locking relationship as will be readily appreciated.

The various fold lines previously referred to are formed, as can be shown best in FIGURE l0, by indentation lines and 92 which are formed during the molding process within the opposite faces of the blank.

For holding the front and rear wall panels 28 and 30 in proper relation to the side wall panels 24 and 26 particularly before the cover panel 32 is secured in place, as shown in FIGURE 5, the two side wall panels 24 and 26 are provided, along each of their opposite side edges 38 and 40, with a pair of outstanding tab members 100 and 102. As can be 'best seen in FIGURE 6, each such tab includes an upstanding base portion 106 and the tab portion proper 108 which is hinged to the base by means of a transverse indentations 110 and 112, substantially as is shown. Each base portion 106 is integrally formed with its corresponding side wall panel and hence is permanently secured thereto. Each tab portion 108 is apertured as at 114 and receives a stud 116 of the form described in conjunction with FIGURE 7. Alternative to the construction of FIGURE 6, the wall panel 118 in any case maybe merely provided with a ta'b extension 120 as shown in FIGURE 1l, which is adapted to receive the associated stud 122 on an adjoining panel member 124. In any event, the blank is formed with the necessary abutment surfaces which are in upstanding or depending relationship with respect to the :blank so as to properly locate the various wall panel portions thereof and hold them in place to retain the container in assembled, erect and self-supporting form.

I claim:

1. A collapsible container comprising,

a sheet of synthetic resinous material of Igenerally Icruciform shape, said sheet being provided with fold lines dividing the sheet into a plurality of rectangular wall portions, there being a bottom wall having a pair of Side Walls joined thereto along respective side edges thereof, a front wall joined to said bottom wall along one edge thereof extending between said side walls, a rear wall joined to said bottom wall along the other edge thereof extending between said side walls, and a lid joined to said rear wall along that edge thereof parallel to said other edge of the bottom wall,

a pair of ribs upstanding from each side wall along those side edges thereof perpendicular to their line Iof joining to said bottom wall, each such rib having an outwardly facing groove therein,

anV upstanding tongue extending along each free lside of said -front and -rear walls perpendicular to their lines of joining to said bottom wall, each such tongue being received in a respective one of said grooves,

and tab means for retaining said tongues in said grooves.

2. The Container as defined in claim 1 including a pair of upstanding anges along each 4side of said lid parallel to said tongues, the outer edges of said side walls being received between the respective pairs of said flanges.

3. The container as defined in claim 2 including tab Ameans for retaining said outer edges of the side walls between their respective pairs of flanges.

4. The container as defined in claim 1 wherein said tab means comprise a plurality of outstanding tabs along said side edges of the side Wallis and a plurality of studs projecting outwardly of said front and rear walls along said free sides thereof and on the opposite faces thereof from said tongues. Y

5. The container-as defined in claim 4 includes a pair of upstanding anges along each Iside of said lid parallel to said tongues, the outer edges of said side walls being received between the respective pairs of said flanges.

6. The container as defined in claim 5 including tab means for retaining said outer edges of the side walls between their respective pairs of flanges.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,148,822 9/ 1964 Yooham. 3,246,828 4/ 1966 Branseum et al. 220-62 THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

I. B. MARBERT, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A COLLAPSIBLE CONTAINER COMPRISING, A SHEET OF SYNTHETIC RESINOUS MATERIAL OF GENERALLY CRUCIFORM SHAPE, SAID SHEET BEING PROVIDED WITH FOLD LINES DIVIDING THE SHEET INTO A PLURALITY OF RECTANGULAR WALL PORTIONS, THERE BEING A BOTTOM WALL HAVING A PAIR OF SAID WALLS JOINED THERETO ALONG RESPECTIVE SIDE EDGES THEREOF, A FRONT WALL JOINED TO SAID BOTTOM WALL ALONG ONE EDGE THEREOF EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID SIDE WALLS, A REAR WALL JOINED TO SAID BOTTOM WALL ALONG THE OTHER EDGE THEREOF EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID SIDE WALLS, AND A LID JOINED TO SAID REAR WALL ALONG THAT EDGE THEREOF PARALLEL TO SAID OTHER EDGE OF THE BOTTOM WALL, A PAIR OF RIBS UPSTANDING FROM EACH SIDE WALL ALONG THOSE SIDE EDGES THEREOF PERPENDICULAR TO THEIR LINE OF JOINING TO SAID BOTTOM WALL, EACH SUCH RIB HAVING AN OUTWARDLY FACING GROOVE THEREIN, AN UPSTANDING TONGUE EXTENDING ALONG EACH FREE SIDE OF SAID FRONT AND REAR WALL PERPENDICULAR TO THEIR LINES OF JOINING TO SAID BOTTOM WALL, EACH SUCH TONGUE BEING RECEIVED IN A RESPECTIVE ONE OF SAID GROOVES, AND TAB MEANS FOR RETAINING SAID TONGUES IN SAID GROOVES. 